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Penn State (7-3) vs. Rutgers (1-9) Game Preview

One Reason Why Penn State Will Win

Rutgers really, really, really can’t score.

The Scarlet Knights can’t move the chains, they can’t stop anyone on third downs, and the passing game has been painful.

The Nittany Lions are amazing at getting into the backfield, and they’re dangerous from several spots – Yetur Gross-Matos wore Wisconsin as a hat last week. Rutgers is actually good in pass protection, and it’s great at keeping teams from making big things happen behind the line, but that’s about to change.

It’s not like the Rutgers offense needs more issues.

The Scarlet Knight offense scored 35 points in the opener against Texas State, and it’s failed to come up with more than 17 points in any game since.

Penn State was held to seven points by Michigan, and it has scored 17 points or more against everyone else. This isn’t the week Rutgers will go Kansas City Chiefs – it’s not scoring more than 17.

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One Reason Why Rutgers Will Win

Slowwwwwwwww, this down.

Rutgers needs to go 2017 Rutgers.

The Scarlet Knights aren’t scoring anyway, so they might as well go to the four corners attack and stall as much as possible.

The Nittany Lions don’t care a lick about the time of possession, so if there was ever a time to get the midrange passing game working, and if it was possible to somehow get the D off the field – Penn State is awful on third downs – this might be low scoring and close late.

Fumbles are an issue for the Nittany Lions, and Rutgers could use to take a few of them away. The Scarlet Knights have only turned the ball over twice in the last three weeks, and when it did give it up against Northwestern and Wisconsin, it was able to keep the game tight.

Penn State hasn’t been scoring in bunches like it did early in the season. Make Trace McSorley and the offense press a bit, eat up the clock, and take a shot that a few breaks might go the right way.

What’s Going To Happen

Again, Rutgers just doesn’t score.

It won’t take much for Penn State to put this away early on, needing just 14 points or so in the first half to be able to cruise.

It isn’t going to be anything pretty, but the Nittany Lions will slug their way through it for a win to simply get through and move on. A ten-win season is still possible, and a strong bowl appearance is still there for the taking with two more wins. This will be one of them.